Shadow of the Beast
by autobotgirl12328
Summary: 3rd book in the 'Sky Army' series. Darkness lies in the past and is reaching to drag everyone down with him. The shadows seem alive, taking people from behind. What is going on, and who's story will be told this time?
1. Prologue

A/N (Out of Character)

I was grounded. :( still am. Will update when I can.

Shadow of the Beast

Prologue

When people mention hybrid rights I remember was when I was in elementary school. I knew this girl who had become a big sister recently. We were friends. The little baby, named Giselle, was cute. She had the most beautiful green eyes. When Giselle turned a year old though, she started to change. As it turned out, she was a half blood, something between hybrid and human. I never saw Giselle again. When I asked my friend about it, she said that Giselle died of an illness. When I asked what illness, she replied plainly hybrid.

I lived in the big city, if the reader recalled that from my first little journal series. I lived there all my life. No hybrids lived in the city. I always thought it was because none of them liked it. It wasn't that reason. It was because they were disrespected there. It seemed no one in the city wanted them there. I still can't image why. Ashley and I, we never saw a hybrid before the Sky Army. I still know I was baffled by the sight of Jerome and Quentin. They were so strange to a city girl like me.

After the events of a month or so ago, after the whole Peterson thing, I started thinking about hybrids. I remember what Jerome told me about his past. He had no rights. He still doesn't. He explained it that people saw him as a dog. To these people, he was nothing more than an animal. He could've been killed and the murder would be treated as an animal abuser or a hunter. I could hardly believe it. That's when I thought about others.

How did Cliff get here? She wasn't much younger than me but still. Where were her parents? Did they know what she was doing out here? I never bothered to ask. She never bothered to bring it up. And as I thought about her, suddenly Husky came to mind. That lovable little amphibian. How did he get here? He was much older than Cliff, slightly older than Jerome. He didn't talk much about his past, about as much as Jerome and Mitch used to I guess.

It couldn't be that he had as bad a backstory as Jerome, right?

**Fourteen Years ago**

It was raining. Storming in fact. The rain was light but the thunder and lightning were plentiful. It was near midnight as the couple arrived in the shadows of the fortress. Even in the night, the fortress had a great shadow that stretched far. The couple entered the shadow, stopping in front of a little old man. The old man grinned.

"Honey, please…no," whispered the wife, tightening her grip on the hand of her son.

"No!" the husband hissed, taking hold of the boy.

The boy screamed. The mother wept, reaching out for him. The husband backhanded her.

"How could you love this…this animal!? He's no son of ours!" the husband shouted.

"He's my son! My old son! Howard please…please…" whimpered the mother.

"Enough!" ordered the husband.

The husband shoved the boy into the arms of the old man. The child whimpered, sobbing hard. The old man gripped the child's hand tight. The boy sobbed harder.

"He's our…boy…" sobbed the wife.

"I have no son!" shouted the husband, dragging his wife to her feet.

"No!" cried the wife as the husband dragged her off. "Quentin! No! My boy!"

The child watched his parents fade into the shadows. They were coming back, right? His mother loved him. She would come back. Right? The old man grinned, revealing sharpened teeth. He looked down at the boy. Lightning flashed, revealing the boy to be less than human.

"Quentin, yes?" the old man hissed.

"Yes, sir."

"How old are you?"

"Nine, sir."

"Nine? Ha!"

The old man dragged the boy into the fortress. The iron bars crashed down behind them. The thunder was muffled. The lightning's glare was dimmed. Nothing entered the fortress. Nothing entered and nothing left.


	2. Time moves on

Chapter 1: Time moves on

I like Ian and all but he isn't the best cook. I don't know why Ty and Sky keep putting him in charge of cooking during lunch. That's the time when no eats anymore, in fear of Ssundee's food. Somehow I found my way down to the lunch hall, sitting at a table, eating his slop. I wasn't sure what happened before that but somehow I managed to find myself there. I sat with Ashley, Cliff and Fia.

Have I introduced Fia in my previous story telling? She hasn't been around much, mostly working with Seto when he's lost track of Cliff. She's his other apprentice. She's a hybrid too, a Valkyrie class. She has black wings sparkled with stars, hidden most of the time under her cape. Her name is Fiara, but we mostly call her Fia. She says she's been around since Seto joined, but I'm not sure I believe her. Even Cliff isn't completely sure.

"What's our plans for today," cheered Ashley, pushing her tray away. "Except surviving Ssundee's food."

"Not sure…Seto wants me to practice teleportation some more," sighed Cliff, shoving her tray away. "I'm a little worried about him. He's been acting strange lately."

"I'm thinking about potion making," smirked Fia, winking.

"That leaves me pretty bored," groaned Ashley, resting her head on the table.

"We could go out to the village," I shrugged.

"Boring…" yawned Ashley, still resting her head on the table.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and have the base explode," I snapped.

"Don't joke about that," snarled Cliff, leaning forward.

I shook my head, nodding. No joke. It was still too soon. It had only been a few months since the events of Peterson. Jerome and Mitch were still trying to sort through the paperwork. There was a scar in the arena wall from where the hole was created. It felt like it all just happened, like we were just in that arena fighting for our lives. Thinking of that, I could feel the chills run up my spine.

"Right," I whispered. "No joke."

I looked over at Ashley and Fia sitting across from me. Ashley's head was still resting on the table. She seemed to be mumbling the lyrics to a song she liked. Fia was playing with that gold strand in her hair. Her red eyes got that dreaming gleam as she looked up over me and Cliff toward something behind us. I knew that look. Fia only made that look for one person. I slapped Ashley on the back of the head, getting her to sit up.

"Jane, just who I was looking for."

Sky stepped up behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. Everyone looked up at him. He glanced around at us, slightly confused by the sudden attention but quickly turned back to me. I caught sight of Fia realizing her blushing and quickly stopped twirling her hair.

"What can I help you with, sir?" I smiled.

"I told you, call me Sky, and I need you for…uh, something important. Something…" he glanced around the table, still slightly confused why everyone was staring at him. "A personal thing. For a friend…"

"Uh…okay," I mumbled.

"Can I…can we walk and talk?" nodded Sky, walking away.

"Sure…" I whispered, getting up.

"A personal mission for a friend?" perked the three, leaning in.

"Hush it you nosy bunch of recruits," I snickered.

"Tell us about it when he's done talking to you," whispered Ashley, grinning.

"You lot are bad for me," I smirked, walking after Sky.

I caught up with him about halfway to the pool. He was looking around, cautiously. Something was up, but I hadn't noticed anything strange going on. Sky smiled all the same as he always does. He put an arm over my shoulder, leading toward the pool. I sighed. Only one person is at the pool during this time of the day. A certain amphibian I had neglected to see today.

"So what's up?" I hummed.

"I need you to watch Husky for a few days," mumbled Sky, avoiding eye contact.

"Why?" I gasped.

"Well, normally, I have Ty watch him but I completely spaced out and sent him away for something. I need someone to watch Husky and you're the only one available who I trust," explained Sky.

"Just watch him?" I sighed.

"And make sure he doesn't kill anyone," nodded Sky, patting my back, and walking away.

"What was that!?" I gasped.

"Technically, you agreed!" called Sky, disappearing into the crowd.

I groaned, blowing hair out of my eyes. How hard could watching Quentin be?


	3. Husky the not fish

Chapter 2: Husky the not fish

The pool room was a nice place. It was the only room in the Basement that looked like sunlight was drifting in, reflecting off the water and shimmering along the walls. It was a beautifully peaceful room. I went and swam during the weekends mostly, when Quentin wasn't teaching a class about underwater training. I rarely found him outside this room.

"Hey, Q!"

Quentin was paddling in the pool, like he normal does. Sometimes I think he sleeps here. It was a thought that always made me grin. He floated to the surface, grinning at me. The water dripped down his chin as he stood up, floating on the surface.

"Hey Jane. Been left to Mudkip duty this year?" he hummed.

"Huh?" I perked.

He headed toward the ladder. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes as he glanced at me.

"You're here to watch for a bit, right? Sky's orders. A friend's favor?" he yawned, drying off.

"How'd you know?" I mumbled.

"Call it a hunch. You seem a little out of it," he shrugged. "Sorry that you had to get stuck with me for the next couple of days."

"Why do you need to have someone watching you?" I asked.

He looked at me but didn't answer. At that moment, almost on cue, Jason came in to interrupt. All suited up, I could see his helmet screen fog up upon entry. Quentin and I grinned, struggling to hold back laughter as Jason had to wipe the foggy screen. I could tell he wasn't happy with us, but I couldn't help image someone like Jerome and Mitch drawing a smiley face on the foggy surface.

"Can we help you, TrueMU?" offered Quentin, choking down his laughter.

"Mission," replied Jason, holding back his bitterness as he finished cleaning his screen.

"Mission?" I perked. "Now?"

"A town not far from here has been having some problems. Missing people, a lot of people found dead. The town folks are in a panic and we need to find out why," explained Jason, holding out a folder.

"Assassins?" questioned Quentin, taking the mission statement. "This couldn't be anyone trying to get at us, is it?"

"Not like this. We're just checking our borders, if you know what I mean," nodded Jason, walking away, "Sky, just wants to keep you busy, I suppose."

"Looks like we've got some fun to do," smirked Husky, handing me the folder.

"Are you sure we can just leave like this?" I gaped.

"I'm going and you're supposed to watch me right?" smirked Quentin, walking off.

"Quentin!" I gasped, chasing after him. "Husky!"


	4. The Walking Darkness

Chapter 3: The walking darkness

The town was surrounded by dead trees. They arched and bent around the houses creating the single creepiest thing I've ever seen. All the houses were wooden, barely puffing chimney smoke. We entered quietly, a group of about ten, including Quentin and me. Upon entry, we only saw a few people. They were all pale faces, clothes torn, hair knotted, and jittery. Even the children were huddled in groups, watching all around as if something was going to just reach out and grab them. My heart sank with each step. Something was deeply wrong here. Red stains lined the streets, but no bodies. Sometimes bricks in the houses were missing or a stone in a pathway. It was strange.

"What's going on here?" I whimpered.

"That's what we're going to find out," nodded Quentin. "Split up! Don't instigate anything. These people have obviously been through a lot."

I wandered off myself. The entire town had that eerie sense about it. Something dark lurking in the shadows, watching me, stalking me. Every step felt forces. My heart raced. It was like a horror movie. I half expected something come out and murder me. That forced a lump into my throat. That's when I noticed them. The townspeople peering out their windows, watching my every step. But they weren't the shadows stalking me.

I heard the scatter of footsteps dash across the path. It seemed to be a small figure. I followed slowly. Night seemed to be falling or had it always been here. Again, a horror movie feeling crept into my throat. I kept moving, around the rickety houses, moving toward the figure I swore I saw. Every stone seemed to be ready to collapse. This whole town seemed ready to collapse.

"Hello?" I whispered.

Another scatter of footsteps along the path. The barely visible path led passed the houses to a small well. It was oddly the only thing intact. Water pooled around it, reflecting the dead trees and wavering in the wind. A footstep in the puddle of water around the well.

"Hello? Is someone there? I don't mean any harm," I offered.

A small head popped out from behind the well. It was a young child with bright eyes and a red nose. Her cheeks were crusted with tears. I smiled, approaching her. Her eyes widened as she ducked behind the well again.

"Hello, sweetie. My…my name is Jane. What's yours?" I smiled.

"They don't like the water…they don't like the water…they die, they die in the water," the girl chanted, looking around wildly.

"What? Who are they?" I whispered.

"Don't look them in the eye. They hate man's gaze. Water…water…safe in the water…"

"Child, what is it?" I begged, reaching out.

"No!" she screamed. "Run! They come! It's here! It's here! Don't look him in the eye! Death! Die in water! Die in water!"

I heard something rustle in the bush. I spun around, that's when the girl took off into the woods. A brush from the breeze. I could hardly breathe. Then everything stopped. I couldn't have done anything but just blinked when suddenly there was a creature standing before me. It was black as night, slender like nothing else, arms and legs long like branches. My eyes slowly moved up the body toward the head, then I stopped. The girl's words echoed in my head. It wasn't moving, didn't even engage me.

"Jane!"

A recruit. The creature turned around slowly. The recruit's mouth opened as he looked up at the creature. The peaceful creature then changed. His mouth opened, revealing fire and a bloodcurdling screech. It vanished then appeared again closer to the recruit. I watched as the creature ripped the recruit apart. It was something horrible, like out of a horror movie. I couldn't move. My mouth remained open, throat dry. I couldn't even scream as I watched blood fall. The recruit fell, dead, and the creature vanished.

That's when my voice suddenly came to life. I screamed. I screamed like a chick in a horror film. I screamed until Husky grabbed me and shook me out of it. I didn't even see him approach, he was just suddenly there and I stopped screaming. I panted for air.

"Jane, Jane, snap out of it!" ordered Husky.

"He's…he's dead…" I panted. "I watched him…it just came out of nowhere…it just killed him."

"What came? What was it?" gasped Husky.

"I don't know what it was," I sighed.

Screams began to echo. Husky and I spun around, listening to the screams of people. Quentin pulled out his sword. I couldn't move. I couldn't think of anything but that recruit that died.

"Jane, what is it?" Quentin panted.

"A creature…it's just black but…but don't look it in the eyes! That's what pisses it off!" I explained.

"Got it," he nodded. He took up his walkie, "Army recruits, this is HuskyMudkipz. Don't look it in the eye! If you see it, don't look it in the eye!"

"What do we do, Husky?" I pleaded.

"Do we know anything else?" sighed Husky.

The girl's words echoed in my head. "Water!" I gasped. "A townsperson…she said they hate water. Water kills them."

"Water? Got it," he smirked. "We got a nightmare to kill!"


	5. Killing a Nightmare

A/N

Sorry for the shortness and the delay. Being grounded isn't fun in the slightest.

Chapter 4: Killing a Nightmare

We weren't very organized. As organized as the survivors in a horror movie. We were huddled together, back to back, watching wearily all around, each with a sword drawn. I stood next to Husky and kept exchanging glances with him. We were both scared. I watched this creature murder a recruit in cold blood. I can still see the red splattering onto the grey soil. I can hear the screams echoing across my mind. It makes me shudder, even now.

"Where is it?" whispered a recruit.

"It could be anywhere," mumbled another.

"It just vanishes…like a ghost."

"A phantom."

"It reminds me of an old legend of a creature that lived in another world," gulped a recruit in the group, looking around. "Black as night with a scream of death. It was known as the Man of the End."

"The grim reaper?"

"Enderman," replied Husky, gritting his teeth.

A whoosh. A recruit gasped, swinging his blade and leaving the group. The creature hissed, vanishing and reappearing quickly behind the recruit. The man yelped but could not defend himself against the creatures attack. Husky lunged, hitting the creature dead center. Its scream would bring about thoughts of death and hell. It was so unhuman, unreal. The being vanished quickly.

"I got a good swing at it," Husky nodded. "Now we wait for him to show up again."

"We're running out of recruits…" I whispered. "How much longer can we survive?"

"Jane…" mumbled Husky, glancing at me. "I just want to say…"

The creature appeared again, hissing with his mouth open into a dark abyss. Husky took a swing but missed. The creature ripped form the ground a solid block of dirt, holding it out in front. Husky took another swing, nicking the creature's arm. It howled in pain, swing the block at him. Another recruit let out a great cry, stabbing his blade into the creature's back. It howled like nothing of this earth. It curdled blood and haunted nightmares. It was above reproach.

"Water!" someone else cried. "I got water from the well!"

I found the recruit, taking from his hands. I could hear the creature throw the recruit off his back. Husky no doubt took another wild swing. The water pale seemed like nothing as I ran to his aid. In that last moment I did the most cliché thing possible. I tripped. The bucket flew from my hands, splashing over Husky and the creature. The being yelped in pain, singing and fading. Husky, soaking wet from the water, rose and stabbed the creature once more.

It made no noise. It barely moved. It simple collapsed sideways, dropping its block and sinking into the ground. Husky nodded gently, collapsing onto his knees with a sigh. There was rustling in the city, but it quickly subsided. Some recruits stood up, collecting toward where Husky and I were located. The sky cracked, echoing the thunder rolling.

"Did…did we win," I panted.

"We didn't lose," replied Husky, crawling toward the fallen demon. "What is this thing?"

"I think Enderman was a good fit," I nodded.

He rolled the thing over onto its side, revealing a burned mark on its side. It looked, from where I was standing, like a circle with the letters M and H within it. Husky grimaced, quickly releasing the creature. It flopped back into its dead position, mouth open and eyes looking longingly toward the sky. Husky gripped his hand as if he'd touched poison.

"Quentin…you okay?" I offered.

"No…I'm not," he snarled.


	6. Stinging feeling

Chapter 5: Stinging feeling

**Fourteen Years Ago**

Quentin wanted nothing more than someone to take his hand and lead him through the dark hall with kind worlds. The world suddenly got so dark and cold for him. He felt alone. All he wanted was that kind hand to help him along. Instead the doctor walked ahead of him, barely looking back and never saying a word.

"S-s-sir," the child stuttered.

"How old are you?" the doctor hissed.

"I'm…I'm…"

"Stop your useless stuttering!" the man howled, backhanding the little boy. "Answer me! Your age, boy!"

"Nine," cried the child. "I'm only nine!"

"Good. Good and young. Plenty of tests we can do," the doctor hummed.

They continued down the hall. Quentin whimpered, stumbling behind the good doctor. They passed by windows looking into other rooms. They were full different creatures. One was green with a dark face. As they passed, the creature hissed, quickly approaching the window. The doctor pulled Quentin quickly away from the window. The hissing creature seemed to follow their movements until it reached the edge of the window, losing sight of them. Another window was what looked almost human curled in a corner. It had green skin and torn clothes. Another window, another creature completely made of bone.

"What…Where…" whimpered Quentin.

"I said stop stuttering, you mutant!" the doctor screamed, turning around and kicking Quentin down. The boy whimpered, curling up. "Don't shrivel up, you brat! Keep moving, follow me…I said now!"

Quentin leapt to his feet, moving quickly toward the doctor. The only normal thing around. Alone. He felt like crying but couldn't bring himself to it. The doctor led them into a white room. In the center was a doctor's slab. The doctor patted the table, a subtle hint for Quentin to lay down. The child kindly obeyed.

"Now, now, don't move," smirked the doctor, pressing a button on the counter.

Something quickly clicked around Quentin's ankles and wrists. He struggled but to no avail. He began to tear up. The doctor went over toward a little opening in the wall. He pulled out a rod, smirking as he twirled it in his hand. He looked over at Quentin.

"I'm Doctor Markus Hammerston. But you will address me as Sir or Doctor, yes?"

"Yes!" cried Quentin.

"You see I work in the rising study of Hybrids. I never take my specimens, of course. They are so often given to me by people such as your parents," the doctor approached him, standing over.

"Mom…" whimpered Quentin.

"Yes, her. Too bad you turned out like this. No one is sure why Hybrids happen but they do. I…I study them. See what makes each hybrid what they are. I've never seen one quite like you…mostly see Baccas and other such mutants."

"What are…What are you gonna do to me?"

"I'm gonna make you mine."

The doctor took the rod, making sure the brand was hot, and placed it into Quentin's side. The child screamed. The brand sizzled, burning the blue skin until it was dark, almost black. Quentin screamed, even after the brand was removed. The doctor smirked, nodding. He put the brand back in the slot in the wall and left the room.

"Welcome to the family," he grinned.


	7. Reoccurring

Chapter 6: Reoccurring

**Now**

"Quentin, you okay?"

I noticed him spacing during the meeting. I know he normally does this, but this time it was a whole new kind of spacing. The light hit his eyes in a way that made them look watery. I had no idea what he was thinking but it obviously wasn't good. The meeting was boring anyway. Sky and the other officers were going over the creature we'd brought back.

"I'm fine," Quentin eventually mumbled back, sitting up and leaning forward on the table.

"Whatever this thing is, we should study it right away," Jason offered.

"Any suggestions on who? There's a good amount of officers scattered about," grumbled Jerome, folding his arms.

"Steve probably can," shrugged Ian.

"Steve?" mumbled Mitch.

"You know, the guy who has a zombie for a pet."

"Hey, Dave is not a pet!" shouted Ian.

Mitch and Jerome perked.

"What…he isn't," mumbled Ian. He groaned, crossing his arms. "He helped me get passed level 53…"

"Nice," chuckled Mitch.

"We never should have brought that thing here," whispered Husky.

"Speak up," Sky ordered.

"That thing is dangerous!" shouted Husky. "It was a mistake bringing it here. It's deadly and insane."

"C'mon, it's dead now," offered Jerome.

"I don't care!" snapped Quentin, standing up.

"Quentin," I gasped.

"Quentin, calm down. This isn't something to get worked up about," suggested Sky.

I caught Husky move his hand toward his side as if something was there. He shook his head, leaving the room. I leapt out of my chair, chasing after. Obviously I wasn't the only one. Sky stopped me just outside the door.

"Jane, this was a bad idea. Just leave him alone," Sky gaped.

"Something is wrong. We need to help him," I urged.

"This is…a really bad time. I didn't realize that thing was connected to all this," he mumbled.

"Tell me what's going on," I ordered.

"Not my job to tell," whispered Sky.

"Just…let me talk to him. He obviously needs someone to talk to," I nodded.

"Or time to himself. Time to think," argued Sky. "Please don't…"

"I'm not just going to leave Quentin alone!" I snapped, running after Husky. He could only go one place to cool off.

As I marched my way toward the pool room, I had that horrid feeling like Sky was right. What if Quentin needed space and I wasn't giving it to him? What if…what if something bigger was going on like the whole thing with Peterson? I couldn't escape the feeling like I was walking right into a trap of some kind.

I found Quentin sitting by the pool, looking into the water. He kicked his feet in it. He didn't so much as look at me as I entered. I sat beside him, dipping my shoes in the water. I saw him grin a little in the reflection of the water.

"I feel like saying something cliché but profound," I offered.

"That would fit the moment, wouldn't it?" he grinned.

"I'm sorry I'm not much help," I sighed.

"You're fine," he nodded. "I'm being…I don't know."

"I'm sure you have every right to feel like this. I just don't know the story like everyone else does apparently," I shrugged, trying not to sound bitter.

"The others don't know…Sky does…but," he seemed to be fumbling with his words.

Silence for a brief moment, then the click of every window shutting and the doors locking. Quentin and I jumped to our feet. Something began pouring into the room, like a foggy mist. At first it was thin but it slowly began to thicken, becoming impossible to breath. We choked on it.

"Husky…what's…going on…" I coughed.

"Don't… know…"

A familiar noise, something impossible to describe and yet something that was still fresh on my mind. I was growing weak, falling onto my knees. I looked around wearily. Husky collapsed beside me. No more air. Couldn't think. The shadow in the room came closer to us, standing over us.

"Impossible…" I whispered.

I couldn't stay awake any longer. I shut my eyes, collapsing. The Enderman chattered out our defeat.


	8. More Dream related titling

A/N

At last I'm allowed to add this doc and upload! I tried so long last night...Any way...short update, possibly more on the way.

Chapter 7: More Dream related titling

"Jane...Jane..."

My eyes fluttered open, mildly blinded by the bright light of the room. It took me a moment to adjust, then recognize exactly where I thought I was, and where I thought I was...was my school. I was sitting at my desk, dressed in my uniform, bewilderedly looking about. The couldn't be real and yet it seemed so real. Ashley sat beside me, whispering.

"Jane...don't snooze or the Ms. Rogers is gonna go crazy," she whispered.

He voice seemed somewhat distorted, like she was humming her words. She grinned at me, seeing me awake, and returned to looking at the teacher. It was my classroom. It seemed real. I remember sitting in this very room so many times before. Was all that...the Sky Army, the others...was it all a dream?

"Maybe..." I shook me head. It couldn't have been a lie. It couldn't be!

_"Jane..."_

The voice was different. It wasn't Ashley. I looked around quickly, trying to remember the voice. I didn't recognize it. Everything seemed to be falling apart in my head. I leapt to my feet, gathering up the attention off my dream. This had to be a dream, right? Ashley grabbed my sleeve.

"Sit down, Jane! What are you doing!?" she gasped.

_"Jane, don't listen...he's trying to take control..."_

"He?" I whimpered, pulling free of Ashley's grip.

I ran for the door. All the eyes followed me. Voices echoed. I couldn't recognize a thing. It felt like it took forever to reach the door. It was all in vain. I threw open the door, revealing the dark abyss of void. My panic was beginning to gurgle into a whimper in my throat. I turned around.

"You shouldn't have done that..."

The classroom had changed. Nothing but darkness. A single, shadowy form stood just far from me. His eyes seemed to glow unnaturally. He grinned at me.

"You should've just stayed ignorant, child. It was better off for you and your friends..."

_"Jane...don't listen."_

I spun back around, spotting a little boy standing beside me. He grabbed onto my sleeve, peering up at me. He was dressed in a light blue shirt and blue jeans. His eyes glittered a mix of blue and purple. He shook his head, shaking his short brown hair.

_"Don't listen to him, Jane. He was no power yet. This is only a dream...your dream! Wake, Jane! Wake!"_

The world around me rumbled, collapsing. The shadowy figure hissed, racing toward us. I couldn't move, no matter how badly I wanted to. The boy on my sleeve didn't tug or yell. He seemed oddly at peace. The figure raced towards us. He hand was within inches of touching my face when suddenly the floor gave way. I fell, screaming like I've wanted to this whole time.

I was alone. The boy was no where to be found. The figure was gone. I was falling toward a bright light. I shielded my eyes, hoping this wasn't death but morning. I wasn't ready to die.


	9. Trapped

Chapter 8: Trapped

I woke up cold and huddled against a wall in a dark room. Light bled in from the hall's flickering ceiling light. It barely lit my cell. It glittered off the bars, showing my imprisonment. It revealed the shadows of the toilet, floor and walls. Everything ached as I sat up slowly. The light shimmered off the bars across from me. I was in one of a line of cells. I groaned, crawling over toward the bars in order to get a better look at where I was.

"Hello?" I murmured. "Hello!"

"Jane?"

I perked, quickly recalling what happened. The swimming pool. The Enderman. Husky. The loveable Mudkip moved toward his bars, grasping one in his hand. His eyes were dull as he looked across at me. He grinned, somewhat pleased, it seemed, to see me sitting across from him. I chuckled nervously.

"Are you...are you alright?" he hummed.

"I think so...you?"

"As good as I'm gonna get," he nodded.

"Where are we?" I questioned.

He sighed, shaking his head. He pulled into the darkness, masking his face. It wasn't like him. I looked around the room, feeling the walls. I felt something engraved upon them. At first it was just lines, etched in. Then I came upon letters. I squinted trying to make it out. Noises began to echo down the hall, perking my attention. I rushed to the bars, peering out, trying to spy whoever was coming. I quickly regretted it. My eyes widened, watching three creatures came lingering down the hall.

"What are..." I gasped.

Husky quickly grabbed onto the bars, looking down the hall. The creatures were growing closer. They had green skin, torn and broken. Their clothes were torn, ripped and blood stained. Arms out, reaching forward. They stopped outside our cells. I pulled away from the bars. The creatures spun around, reaching out toward me. They opened the cell, reaching for me.

"No...no..." I mumbled, backing up against the wall.

"Jane...don't panic! Don't struggle or they'll get violent!" Husky urged.

"What!?" I screamed.

The creatures grabbed onto me, pulling me off the ground. I felt their warm breath against my skin. It made me tingle. I groaned, wincing as they pulled at my arms, dragging me across the cell floor. I struggled, though its not like they cared.

"Let go!" I howled, kicking the creature in the leg.

They all growled. One of them beat me in the head, knocking me to the ground. I groaned, feeling weak again. They pulled me back up, dragging me down the hall. I saw Husky, peering out from the bars. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He sighed, turning away, disappearing into the darkness.

I didn't put up much of a fight anymore. I looked around, taking everything in. As soon as I was free I needed to know how to get out of this place. They passed through double doors, entering pure white halls. I peered through a window, looking into what must've been an experiment. A creature with different shades of green. It moved around on four legs, hissing as he approached innocent people huddled in a corner. We passed the window before I could see the end. Something exploded.

Another set of doors and we entered a room. A medical slab stood out in the middle for the room. The creatures threw me down onto the slab, strapping me in. I struggled against the fastening, finally just shouting out. The creatures left and someone new entered.

"My...my...my. What a lovely child."

The man stood over me. He fixed his gloves, then his glasses, then changed the screens. They revealed my vitals, x-rays, and overall medical scans. I felt a sharp pain in my arm, jerking as the man removed the needle with my blood. The man chuckled, setting the needle down on the counter.

"No mutations it your blood though," he sighed. "Pity...You would've worked well with my current project. No matter. Let's call the boss, shall we?"

"Boss?" I whispered. "Who's your boss?"

"Oh, she'll be glad to meet you at last."

He tapped a button on the keyboard. The screen's changed, revealing a shadowy figure. Long hair and beautiful figure, the figure crossed her arms, seeming unimpressed. The man offered a bow to the woman on the screen.

"Greetings, boss," he offered.

"Why are you calling me, Dr. Hammerston?" the voice was stern and harsh.

"I have captured the mudkip but I'm afraid I caught this lovely specimen as well. Do I have permission to do my work?" The doctor moved around, lifting the table so I could see the screen directly in front of me. He brushed his hand along my hair. i groaned, struggling again.

"What is your name, child?"

"What does that matter!?" growled the doctor, pulling my hair.

"I won't tell you anything!?" I screamed.

"I simply want your name?" the woman asked.

"Answer the mistress," the doctor hissed in my ear.

"Jane...Jane Stevenson," I groaned.

There was a moment of pause. The female on the screen hissed, seeming to glare at the doctor. The doctor backed up, snarling.

"Release her," the woman ordered.

"What!?" gasped Hammerston.

"Do not question. It is not my orders...but his."

"His?" the good doctor repeated. "He doesn't give orders."

"On this one, he did. He wants her unharmed until his return," she assured.

"Who's he!? Who are you!?" What's going on!?" I shouted.

"Release her or you will have me to deal with," the woman ordered before the screen shut off.

The doctor chuckled, slinking a finger along my cheek.

"I never liked her anyway. Who does she think she is...knowing him? He isn't even real!" the doctor hissed.

"She said release me," I whispered.

"Peterson was afraid of her...I don't care much for me," shrugged the doctor. "You will make a perfect experiment."

The doors were thrown open. The same creatures came in, dragging a limp Quentin. He looked up slowly, spotting me. That's when he started to struggle. The doctor patted him on the head.

"Welcome back, my boy."

"Let her go! She's not a part of this! Let her go!" Quentin howled.

"She's more important than you it seems," shrugged the doctor. "Oh well. Testing will begin where we left off."

"No!" screamed Quentin.

They removed me from the slab, putting Quentin in my place. I struggled but the creatures weren't hesitating. They dragged me back into the cell, throwing me in forcefully. My hands ran along the wall again, finding the letters again. The lights shone into the etching, until I could make out what it read. I shook my head. Just great. Another trip through the past.


	10. Message File

Report-Shadow of the Beast file

Message list: file-1

SKY001

Topic: Enderman-Husky-Jane

I feel like a complete idiot! We let this happen. I let…I should've listened to Quentin.

BAJCAN010A

Re:

Don't beat yourself up about it. We all should've listened. All we can do now is get them back.

ZENP812

Re: Re

Get them back? How? We have no leads! I want them back more than anything but how are we going to find them with no hints or explanation.

ASF010B

Re: Re: Re

Husky seemed really bothered by the scar on the side of it. We still have it on file. I can ask Seto.

SKY001

Anything will help. We have to try everything.

Private: ZENP812

You doing okay?

ZENP812

Why wouldn't I be?

SKY001

You didn't answer the question

ZENP812

Just find her, Sky. Find them both.

SKY001

I'm gonna try. I promise.


End file.
